ALIAS Shygirl

1st March 2022

I feel like the moment I discovered Shygirl, a switch flipped in my brain. That switch would unlock the art of feel like a bad bitch, there is honestly no other way to describe that feeling her music gives me other than that it makes me feel so powerful and confident. ALIAS is probably my favourite EP of all time if I’m being honest, without a doubt my most played of all time and rightfully so. Hasani and Only Fire opened for her, for the London date they’ll also be joined by Costa (and I am very jealous of anyone going to the London show because of that). I recognised Hasani from her Parklife set, I had absolutely no idea he made music, but his voice is incredible. A completely different mood and genre to Shygirl and Only Fire but the selection feels so personal, a great pick from Shygirl. Only Fire got the crowd warmed up for Shygirl as they make music within the same realm. Only Fire is incredible at what he does, I’d definitely see him again one day.

Shygirl stepped onto the stage as the crowd cheered, wearing a long, sexy black dress accompanied by a blue feather boa. She definitely looked like a movie star and all eyes were on her as she opened the show with Cleo. From the moment the show started all the way to the end, I don’t think there was ever a moment where the crowd stopped singing. The fans on stage made the movie star allure all the more convincing as Shy’s boa was having a Marilyn moment. She takes it off after Cleo to reveal cleavage and cutouts galore. She looked gorgeous, she had blue shimmery eyeshadow that reflected in the light whenever the spotlight swung her way. Throwing it back to Cruel Practice, she leapt into Rude. Red lights danced across the stage as the ever enchanting Shygirl walked across the stage chanting the words “closer, smoother” over and over again. The sample in this song makes it one of the hardest tracks on Cruel Practice and I’m glad this is the one she picked from it to perform for us tonight.

TWELVE’s beat starts pumping through the speakers, everyone in the crowd is shouting the words, the energy is high. Shygirl basks in the energy from the crowd, gripping a bedazzled pink microphone. SLIME is up next, Shy really knows how to make her stage presence reflect her lyrics. She’s confident and her enthralling demeanour never fades. She also knows how to have fun and her moves exude sex appeal. She’s not just a baddie for the season or a baddie for the night, it’s obvious to me that Shy’s a baddie forever. She launches in to FREAK which she says describes her, which she proves right as she moans live on stage as the beat builds and the beat drops and even more so on the second round. She body rolls and slides down to the floor as she rides the beat while singing “Do me right on the floor.” A tantalising performance forever engrained into my brain because how do you forget something like that? You can’t, and I wouldn’t want to either.

Next we’ve got UCKERS, the Psycho screams are met by Shy moving her hips to the beat. Now, I always wondered how it was that part of the song that went viral, rather than the braggadocious chorus I’m screaming with my chest as are the rest of the venue. Honestly some of my favourite lyrics she’s ever written and to be honest I am thankful for the vitality of this song because I feel like it’ll never come off her setlist, no matter when and where she performs.

TASTY shifts the tempo, I’ve always appreciated this song because it’s so fun and cute and really feels like one for the girls. Shy moves from side to side as the distorted vocals blare out her commands to be left satisfied. She then performs her verse from Sour Candy, this section of her show already feels a lot bubblier, upbeat, more of a dance section and the pink lights combined with the electronic screens on stage’s slime green visuals, it echoes the album artwork for Dawn of Chromatica. Shy’s singing voice is bewitching, which I think makes for a fabulous combination with her dominating lyricism, she’s definitely mastered the art of seduction and getting what she wants.

SIREN turns the car she’s driving back to ALIAS, the beat escalates as the crowd starts to get louder and louder, mirroring the beat. The adrenaline is high. The crowd is even doing that incredibly British thing where we’re singing along solely to the beat, and then back to the lyrics again. The best part of the ALIAS tour? Every single song is a crowd favourite. There’s never a dip in energy and the crowd and Shy mirror each other’s energy in perfect harmony. She’s jumping, we’re jumping, yellow lights reflect across her gorgeous visage. Before she entices us with BAWDY, she mentions how she wrote this song about her ex “but he’s a waste.” I know she wasn’t trying to, but she definitely proved it was his loss. Smoke and blue spotlights followed Shy as she asserts dominance on stage. The beat embodies foreplay as it intensifies before the climax, Shygirl sinks to the floor and gets up right before the crowd screams as the beat drops. Shygirl radiates sensuality throughout the performance, you could cut the sexual tension between her and the beat with a knife.

She plays new material that I’m so excited for her to release. The first one is an amalgamation of her vocals that are soft as cotton candy clouds and a beat that makes me feel like I’m in a Y2K video game. I can see Shygirl’s next project showing a softer side of her craft if this and Cleo are anything to follow. BDE comes next, I’ve come to the conclusion that the nastier Shygirl gets in her lyricism, the more the crowd love it. Everyone in the room is repeatedly yelling “beat that pussy right!” It’s as if we’re united by the sounds of Shygirl’s fantasy. Honestly, since BDE came out, I’ve always said there was something in the studio when she and Slowthai made it. Sega Bodega and Karma Kid must’ve laced that beat with an aphrodisiac. She puts her blue boa back on and performs another new song, the beat feels a bit softer again in places but the presence she carries throughout ALIAS feels like it’s dripping through her vocals. She ends the show with BB. This is my personal favourite and I love that I can hear the original mix on tour. She recites the lyrics with the fast and furious speed of a Tokyo Drift. You can tell she’s had as much fun performing for us as we’ve had watching her perform.The bass is boosted in a later chorus and she finishes on a high, I truly can’t believe it’s over and I wished she’d done an encore. She truly provided a monumental show and anyone who hasn’t got tickets for any future dates needs to find them expeditiously.

Overall, this show was so worth the wait. Rescheduled from last winter, I honestly felt blessed to have been able to attend. Shygirl delivers nothing other than asserted dominance, she makes the stage hers, she owns it. Her approach to making music about her sexual nature makes me feel so powerful, confidence coursing through my veins. Shygirl is a force of nature that stops for no one, seeing her live in small venue felt so special. The energy bounced of the walls like a game of ping pong, the crowd knew the songs word for word, and it all stayed consistent throughout. I can’t wait to see her in the bigger venues I know she’s going to play one day because her music demands to be listened to. Intriguing, carnal lyrics you can’t ignore and beats that’ll have you working up a sweat, Shygirl’s performance will leave your heart pumping with adrenaline until you get back home.